Runnymede Deanery Growth Grant Report

All Saints New Haw was awarded a £250 grant from the Runnymede Deanery Growth Fund last November for their new mission project called Café Church. Please find below their project report, prepared for the upcoming Synod meeting on 21 June. Photo and article credits: Ilana Hill, All Saints’ Church, New Haw

Café Church, All Saints’ Church New Haw
During the summer of 2021 our Incumbent told us about a church he had been a part of where the atmosphere was more like a Café.  Families brought their children to this gathering but there was no Christian input for them at this time so they stayed and had a coffee together whilst they waited for their children.  He thought this would be a good initiative for our church at All Saints in New Haw.  When brought before the leadership and the PCC it was decided that we wanted this to be a place for everyone to be able to walk into a “church” environment and feel relaxed.  Often people feel overwhelmed entering a church building.

We are extremely fortunate to have a building next to our church which has two rooms, a kitchen and bathrooms which we decided to use.  Our Curate and his wife took ownership of this initiative and spent many tireless hours redecorating, planning, ordering stock, making up menus, rearranging furniture, digging out games that had been gathering dust over lockdown and they put together a beautiful café where everyone is welcome.

Café Church was launched on 26 September 2021 and immediately proved extremely popular.  There is a sofa area with a large pine coffee table where people can relax, read a magazine or newspapers and have a delicious coffee and pastry.  Fresh pastries are baked every week with wheat and gluten-free options available.  Aromatic ground coffee is served in cafetieres and a wide selection of teas is also available.

There are four square tables beautifully decorated with grey table cloths and centrepieces containing sugar, a small menu, donations pot and a little plant.  At the back, a pool table and table tennis table are available for anyone to have a game and there is a pick and mix stand for those with a sweet tooth.  Another area is set out for smaller children with two comfy sofas on a lovely carpet with a play kitchen, a basket of nappies and wipes and various toys which are rotated each week.  A games station is set up on the other side of the room with wii games and soft Christian music playing.  Another table is also decorated with a grey cloth and holds a beautiful prayer board where anyone can write a prayer request and peg this to the board.  The church then adds this prayer to our weekly sessions.  Board games are laid out on tables for anyone to enjoy and has proved a great fun way for people to meet and get to know each other.

Café church runs from 10am-12 noon each Sunday and has 14 regular attendees.  Some are families who don’t feel comfortable in the formal church setting yet.  Others are spouses who drop husbands or wives to the service and instead of going home now come in for a coffee and a chat.  Some weeks are busy whilst others much quieter.  There are 2 A-frames outside advertising Café Church and we have had several members of the public stop for refreshments.  We had an ambulance crew stop for take away coffee and pastries and they stayed for a bit to take in the calm.  Our traditional 10am church service congregation come over at about 11am to join those in the Café for coffee, pastries and to have a catch up.  It’s a great place where everyone can meet together.

Sadly our Incumbent had to take some sick leave and will now not be returning.  Our Curate also sadly moved on but members of our congregation felt so strongly about this initiative that it’s actually grown from strength to strength.  One of our wardens took ownership of the Café initially and there is now a great team who run Café Church each week.

Our verse for the year is Isaiah 43:19 – “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  It’s been a very difficult couple of years with COVID-19 and the changes in our church leadership so this new initiative has been a positive light to which everyone in our congregation has been attracted.

People who have been coming to Café Church began to ask if there was scope to have a contemporary worship group alongside Café Church and so Café Worship was born.  Café Worship will start on Sunday 24 April 2022 to nourish, refresh, knit together and grow our church preparing us for whatever comes next.  

Café Worship will be lay led with communion offered by our ordained leadership from time to time.  We will follow the weekly lectionary and use contemporary worship music played onto an interactive TV screen.  Those attending will be invited to join in by doing readings, learning how to lead, leading prayers etc.  Café Worship will run at the same time as our traditional service from 10am every Sunday morning and finish slightly earlier at 10.40am, although extra time will be allowed where needed if people would like prayer or time for reflection.  Both congregations will then meet in Café Church for refreshments and social time.  Many of our traditional congregation have also expressed a wish to come along to Café Worship and have a mix of contemporary and traditional services in their lives.  This will be a great way to grow our church; offering the flexibility of two different styles of worship as one congregation.

Whilst Café Worship is happening, Café Church will still run in the room next door with the adjoining corridor remaining open so that anyone who is interested can take a look at what’s going on in a non-threatening relaxed way.  Both congregations will pray for each other and many will have roles in both types of services such as intercessions, prayer ministry, bible readings, sides people, servers, refreshments etc.  Our ultimate aim is to serve God in our community, serve each other, grow our church and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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